While I personally own a R1, the only Canon model I have is the XT so can't do a side-by-side. A friend of mine is considering getting a 40D as their first DSLR (but they are an experienced photographer). They like the R1 shots, and high iso probably isn't a huge concern to them (at least not above iso 800). They aren't into action photography, so high speed isn't a huge concern, either. Again, the R1 takes fantastic DSLR-quality shots for what it is, but I can't really tell based on the 40D images I'm looking at if at lower iso speeds they match up to those from the 40D with a decent lens on it.

Any R1 owners in here who have also bought a 40D? Have you done any standard light/low iso side-by-side comparisons between the two yet? My GUESS is that in good light and low iso speeds, the two are pretty similar, but would be nice to hear from those who have had experience with both.

I know of a place this person can get a R1 fora decent price and it's of course a lot less than a 40D plus lens, but overall image quality is their main concern (lack of artifacts,good details, etc).If they do go the Canon route, they're going to getthe 60mm macroEFS for macro work, but the standard walkaround lens hasn't been decided upon yet.

I have the R1 and since I bought it, it's been my favorite camera ever. As Nick says, I will never sell/trade my R1.I've had the D40 (Nikon, notto beconfused by theCanon 40D) and sold it. Now I have the K100 as my DSLR but will sell it soon. In terms of IQ, the R1 producesas good ofimages as any middle range DSLR. However, I think it falls short in terms of performance, specially in low light conditions. Burst mode is not good either. So, to me, the greatest advantages of the R1 overDSLRs is the fact that you have terrific optics witha 5x zoom lens (with very decent digital zoom on top of that) and...not having to deal with SENSOR DUST!!! That to me is priceless!

Depends on how you are going to shoot. Like posted before apples and oranges. I like my Canon 30d in fact I am buying stuff for it all the time. But I do animal photography and landscaping photos for me it works but my backup camera is a Sony H5.

Both the R1 and the Canon 40D are capable of producing great images. But they are two different beasts. The R1 has a fixed very high quality lens, but limited (some would say) by it's focal length range. It also has serious limitations if you intend to shoot raw.

The Canon, on the other hand, is not limited by it's lens - it has an interchangeable lens system, so you buy and use what you really need.

The Canon also has a real optical viewfinder (a very big plus for me), and it has separate dedicated sensors for AF and exposure. This puts the AF performance of the Canon head and shoulders above the R1. It also has (I assume) a decent sized buffer, so raw shooting is not the problem it is with the R1.

But both are very good cameras, just different. What camera to get will depend VERY MUCH on what the user wants/needs in his/her camera.

We cannot come to a consensus as to what is THE camera to get for your friend. Being an experienced photographer, he might not be happy with the limitations of the R1. Personally, I would get both as they have different uses.

I have owned my R1 since they were realeased and I too would not get rid of it. But it is also not my only camera, I also have a DSLR and a digital MF camera. What I am shooting and where dictates what camera I use.

i see the R1 is popular!
I have the minolta 5D and am selling my system as i am strapped for cash.
sold my long telephoto which wasnt as sharp as i wanted, my bessa rangefinder, a fixed tokina lens.

so im looking for a camera that can do shoots, like a low cost wedding, concert, headshots.

i thought maybe the H3 but the lens on it is crap and frankly i dont see how i can get the performance of a dslr even close in a small camera.
while the canon G9 is close, i need wide!
the R1 beats my wide zoom which is 17-35.

im just going to sell these lenses and make a profit!

yeah so my post was completely off topic but i think the R1 kicks ass just by lookin at it.